Cliche and other surface for printing purposes.



M. SANDMANN. Guam: AND OTHER SURFACE FOR PRINTING PURPOSES. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 18, 1908.

955,91 2. Patented Apr. 26, 1910.

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[a E E 31w (an-Cow UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MICHAEL SANDMANN, OF DRESDEN GERMANY.

CLICHE AND OTHERSUBFACE FOR PRINTING PURPOSES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MICHAEL SANDMANN, a subject of the King of Saxony, residing at Elisenstrasse, Dresden, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cliches and other Surfaces for Printing Purposes, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to cliches and other surfaces for printing purposes, and has for its object the production of a printing surface which shall have sharp .outlines, acapacity for printing a large number of copies, and produce in the printed product a print of perfect clearness.

A further object of the invention is to produce a printing surface which shall be as eflicient as an expensive and heavy metal plate, and be cheaper to produce than the celluloid plates now in use.

' A still further object of the invention is to produce a plate which shall possess elasticity, be easy to cut, stamp or engrave when producing the cliche or block and yet avoid the objectionable brittleness of the celluloid plate, the Weight, difficulty in cutting and expense of the metallic plate, and the lack of clearness and sharpness in the printing edges of the linoleum plate.

A still further object of my invention is to produce a printing surface of celluloid or similar composition, by using only a thin layer of said celluloid or com osition, as it is a relatively expensive artic e, and to use a cheaper but more suitable material for a base in an underlying layer.

The weight of metallic plates may be a disadvantage in some cases, but their expense is always a matter of concern. Pure celluloid lates are usually at least 3/32 of an inch 1n thickness, as such a thickness is necessaryto give clearness to the type or lines to be cut in it. Thin as this layer is, the expense of the composition, usually composed of nitro-cellulose and camphor,

is considerable With relation to the total expense of the entire process. Brittleness and lack of elasticity are disadvantageous characteristics of celluloid plates. The pure celluloid has a further serious disadvantage in requiring to be either nailed, or fastened by an adhesive, to a wooden or other base, usually resultin in an insecure connection on account of t eir brittleness and thickness. Cliches or blocks made of linoleum alone lack clearness of outline, and are in- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 18, 1908.

Patented Apr. 26, 1910. Serial No. 453,673.

capable of the fineness of line which can be obtained with both metallic and celluloid plates. I,

With these and other objects in view the present invention consists of a plate, block, cliche or printing surface, and the process for making the same, said plate having a base of linoleum or other substance possessing the same or similar properties, strong yet easy to cut, and a thin surface of cellu loid or other composition of similar surface material, capable of being cut, stam ed or engraved so as to give a well-define clear printing ed e to each ty e or line, the two elements of ase and sur ace material being perfectly united.

The process of makin a plate or cliche in accordance with this invention is as follows: A sheet of linoleum, or any similar easil cut substance, either ressed, woven or fi rous and treated with linseed or other oils with or without an admixture of powdered cork or similar binding element, is made smooth mechanically, by calendering or other similar process, and is intimately combined with a thin layer of celluloid of the same size and of about 0.000 inch to 0.012 inch in thickness, or less. The linoleum base is usually from 1/12 to 1/6 of an inch in thickness, but may be of any thick ness necessary to provide the requisite depth for cutting or stamping and strength for use in printing. T is fusion, uniting or fastenin of the base and surface sheets is accomplished by moistening evenly one surface of a sheet of celluloid with a heated liquid solution of 30 grams of cam horto a. liter of spirit of proof, an placin said celluloid plate upon a sheet of prepare linoleum prevlously heated, so that the said moistenedsurface of the celluloid shall contact with the smoothed and heated surface of the linoleum. The two plates are then firml pressed together, preferably in a hydrau ic press, whereby they are firmly united and a partial or complete fusion of the two is attained.

An alternative process consists in pourin a thin layer of the celluloid in a. heated an liquid condition upon the prepared linoleum plate, thereby avoiding the necessity of pressure to attain the desired fusion.

The fusion, union, fastening, adhesion or connection which results from either of the two above described methods is perfectly satisfactory and lasting, and the union of the two plates or two compositions is complete and is partly or wholly a fusion.

The accompanying drawing will illustrate my invention.

Figure I is a top view of the cliche; Fig. II shows the vertical section of the same.

The letter a indicates the surface of celluloid; the letter Z) the base of linoleum.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention and the manner in which it is performed I do not broadly claim the method of coating an article with a soluble material, for this has been done before, but i What I desire to secure by Letters-Patent 1. As a new article of manufacture a plate for printing purposes, consisting of a thin upper layer of celluloid and a base of linoleum intimately connected therewith from which intimately connected layers the non-printing portions of the plate are removed. I

2. A process for the production of a plate for printing purposes consisting of a thin celluloid plate integrally mounted upon a linoleum base, comprising the process of first. making smooth the linoleum base, then pressing the celluloid plate, the surface of which is moistened with a liquid solution of camphor in alcohol, on the linoleum base.

In testlmony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses. I

MICHAEL SANDMANN.

lVitnesses PAUL ARRAs, WILL. T. COOKE. 

